Improved low-water detector



UNITED STATES WVILLIAM G. BAKER,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED LOW-WATER DETECTOR.

Specification forming To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM G. BAKER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Combined Low-Water Indicator and Safety Apparatus for Steam-Boilers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention has for its object a novel kind of combined safety-valve and low-water indicator, which will without fail allow the escape of steam when the pressure is too high, and which will indicate a want of water in the boiler, and put out the tire if such want is not supplied; and to these ends my invention consists in combining with a steam-boiler an open vertical pipe, extending down below the low-water line and up from the boiler a sufiicient distance to hold a column of water high enough to balance the maximum pressure of steam in the boiler, said pipe being connected to a waste or discharge pipe, and also to a tube or opening leading to the ash-pit or furnace of the boiler, the whole so arranged, as hereinafter fully described, that when the water gets too low in the boiler (and is not replenished) the steam will escape into the ashpit or furnace and check the fire, as hereinafter described.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a simple upright boiler with my improved apparatus combined attached to it. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. 1

In the several figures the same letter indicates the same part of the apparatus.

A is the boiler; B, the ash-pit; G, the grate; I, the fire-chamber, and a I) are the ordinary try-cocks for ascertaining the condition of the water in the boiler.

The dotted line 1 1 (see Fig. 2) represents the water-line in the boiler A. At the top of boiler is shown the usual pipe, D, for conveying the steam from the boiler for use when required.

E is a pipe or tube passing through the top of the boiler, as shown. This tube extends l down into the boiler so far that its lower end reaches a level, below which it is not safe for the water in boiler to be, and the upper end of said tube E should be sufficiently high for said tube to contain a column of water which just requires the maximum pressure of steam (the boiler should sustain) to lift it. Said pipe E is coupled at its upper end to a descending pipe, E, which leads to a waste or discharge pipe, H. Out of the pipe F there extends a short tube, G, which runs into the ash-pit B immediately below the grate-bars O, the use of which will be presently explained.

The operation of my new apparatus, in conjunction with a steam-boiler, may be readily comprehended from the following brief description, viz: Suppose that we have the boiler A supplied with water to the dotted line 1, and steam up, fire brisk-then with the be up in pipe E to about its upper end. Now, should the steam-pressure become too great, (the water-level being above lower end of tube E,) the water from the boiler A and in tube E will be forced above top of tube E, and will flow over, running down pipe F and 011' through H to the sewer or waste; thus the water will be displaced by the pressure of steam, and accident prevented. Should the water get below the bottom of tube E, the steam will then escape through said pipe, and, passing through pipes E, F, and G, put out the fire. If the water gets below the bottom of tube, (which renders danger probable,) the steam from boiler A will blow olf through the pipes E, F, and G into the ash-pitB, and, filling the latter, will give the alarm to any one in sight. If not noticed, it will soon check and even put out the fire, and thus prevent any accident. It will be observed that the water column acts steam in the boiler from going over the desired pressure in the latter, and that it effects this result without any noise or escape of steam in the apartment. Although the water escapes, it does not counteract the advantages of this mode over the usual safety-valve, which is liable to constant leaking. When the water gets too low, the steam will escape into the ash-pit B, (and from thence into the room,) giving the alarm and indicating the immediate need of water, and if the alarm is not known maximum pressure of steam the water would as a complete safety-valve, preventing thethe escape of steam into the ash-pit will (filling the latter with steam and excluding air) efiectu ally check the fire and stop the generation of steam, and save the boiler from being burned and injured.

It will be understood that by a mere escape of steam from the boiler, as by a safety-valve, any accident is prevented; but it will be understood that if the fire continues after the Water has got too low the boiler will soon be burned out and ruined, but with my improvement the escaping steam will put out the fire before the boiler is injured.

I have not described or shown any details of boiler, because my invention does not relate thereto, and the application of my improvement is clearly enough shown to be understood by those skilled in the art.

It is obvious that my invention is applicable in a variety of forms, and to various kinds of steam-boilers. I generally run the pipes E arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my band and affixed my seal this 11th day of March, 1862.

' WVM. O. BAKER.

In presence of WM. LEE, WM. M. FARRINGTON. 

